Abbas has been in talks with Khaled Meshaal, the chief of Hamas, which controls Gaza, in the Qatari capital Doha, to finalise a reconciliation agreement that was signed last April, Agence France Presse reported.

Both Abbas and Meshaal have agreed that elections need to be held quickly, and that any obstacles that might delay the polls must be removed.

It is understood that the interim government will be made up of independents, and will be responsible for overseeing preparations for the elections.

The BBC reported that a formal announcement was expected later on Monday.